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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Friday night at 6 pm (5 Central), the last of my Batman: The Brave and the Bold episodes airs on Cartoon Network. This is the final season of B & B and, as I've said here several times before, it was an absolute pleasure writing for the show and working with producers James Tucker and Michael Jelenic. James, Michael and their incredible creative team managed to inject a much-needed note of fun into the Batman mythos, but always remained respectful of Bats and the innumerable DCU characters that popped up on the series. (It's important to remember that, no matter what it says in the writing credits, when it comes to television, it's always a team effort.)

I enjoyed every story I wrote for B & B, but my three favorites are "The Eyes of Despero," "Hail the Tornado Tyrant" and this week's "Time Out for Vengeance"—which features the animated DCU version of the Giffen-DeMatteis Justice League. It's the second time I've had a chance to write the JLI for Brave and the Bold and, despite the fact that Keith G, Kevin Maguire and I said a fond, and definite, farewell to the comic book incarnation of the team with last month's Justice League Retroactive, I'd jump at the chance to write the animated League again. (I think it would make a great series: Warner Bros., are you listening?)

For now, though, this is goodbye to J'onn, Beetle, Booster, Fire, Ice and the rest. I hope you enjoy "Time Out for Vengeance": it really is a good one. In fact, through the magic of YouTube, you can watch the first part of the episode—which should then lead you to part two—here. That's right, you don't have to wait till Friday for this one. (Hey, it's already been on iTunes for months!) Enjoy one last "bwah-ha-ha" on me.

44 comments:

They're totally crazy if they don't do a JLI series! They followed Teen Titans with Young Justice, so it should be only a matter of time til they figure out what needs to follow JLU! Ideal line-up: Guy, Beetle, Booster, Barda, Jonn, Bats, Fire and Ice. Ideal mascot: G'nort! and ideal Exec Producer: You!

I actually think the JLI, as written by you guys, would make for a great live action show, focusing more on the characters than their adventures. Kind of like The Tick live action show, which was canceled well before it should have been in my opinion.

Keith Giffen would wholeheartedly agree with you, Jay. He always said the perfect translation of our JLI would be a half hour sitcom, taking place primarily in the HQ. All the slam and bang would take place off screen and the stories would focus on the personal interaction of the team. Keith used to call it "BARNEY MILLER in tights"!

I just read your Justice League Retroactive last night and it was a bittersweet experience. I loved seeing the Injustice League again and it was fun placing the story within JLI continuity. (Just before the Antarctica annual!) I was also happy that DC chose JLI #60 as the reprint because it's one of the best "farewell to an era" tales ever written and places Max Lord in the spotlight, as a good guy, as he should be. I'll try not to peek at those links but it'll be difficult!

A cartoon that covers the superhero action angle, and a live action show that makes thinly-veiled references to events from the cartoon. You can take either indepently, but you get something special for watching both.

I heard both James Tucker and Michael Jelenic did indeed say in interviews, they would love to do a JLI animated series spin-off. James Arnold Taylor said on facebook, he would love to voice Guy Gardner again.

I really really hope for more Will Friedle's Jaime Reyes and John DiMaggio's Aquaman in the future. I would love to see Aquaman spend more time with his family, romance between Traci 13 and Jaime Reyes and both Will and John singing together. It will be very funny!

Greg Weisman has recently said that he is sure that a JLI animated series spinoff would be great.

Also how about casting older former Disney stars who were well known back in the late 90s and early 2000s onto DC Nation and future DC cartoons? I believe they would do great at voicing heroes/heroines and allies as well as singing.

You're right about Aquaman. I'll admit, I don't follow Aquaman's DCU adventures that closely, but it's seemed hard to get around the idea that he has something to prove these days by being grim and gritty. And that strikes me as maybe not the best route to go, because at his core, Aquaman is about the joy attached to exploring worlds beneath worlds.

One of my favorite episodes of B:TBATB is "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure!" It's the one where he goes on vacation with his wife and son to the surface world, but just can't pull himself away from superheroics.

I think grim and gritty has its place, David, but there's a lot to be said for a sense of fun and playfulness. And it certainly seems to work with Aquaman. I'd love to see that spill over to the comics.

Since I created I, VAMPIRE wayyyy back when, the talented writer of the new series, Josh Fialkov, was kind enough to send me an advance peek. That said, I THINK it's in stores this week. You should check it out.

I...VAMPIRE (we had an ellipsis, they have a comma!) was something I created for HOUSE OF MYSTERY when I was just starting in the business and the first original I ever came up with (the title itself came from my editor, the great Len Wein). I wrote the first five or six chapters and then used the character again, years later, during my DOCTOR FATE run.

In an interview I did with Michael Jelenic for the Aquaman Shrine (coming on 10/3) he said this: "We actually designed the JLI in such a way that if we were to somehow get more episodes of Brave and the Bold it would have been rebranded into a 'Batman and the JLI' team show. The new show would have less of a revolving cast and focus more on the sitcomy relationships between the JLI on the Watchtower."

Well, I just hope something is being done to make that show a reality!

I'd love to see some storylines adapted to TV. I can already see the pilot with Max bamboozling the JLI to becoming a UN organ under his management. I'd so love to see animated Max! And the second season premiere: a two parter about the JLE, with its frat kind of humor. That would be the ultimate DC show for me!

Seriously-who do we have to write to get Super Buddies: the Animated Series? It would be so nice to see the entire JLI gang get its own series. Batman the Brave & Bold has already introduced so many of these characters-it just seems like it would be the natural way to go.

Now I want to see a singing JLI. Guy Gardner singing-whats not to love?

I think Guy would need a heavy metal track, Meg. Very angry. Or would he surprise us all by doing a Broadway standard just for Ice?

I'm going to be in LA next month and I'll be seeing BRAVE AND THE BOLD producer Michael Jelenic while I'm there. I know he was interested in doing a JLI show; at the very least I'll find out what kind of response the idea got at WB.

Just found out about your blog!Loooove all the things you wrote (Martian Manhunter,..) with or without Giffen (Metal Men, JLI, etc.

I could have watched a whole Brave and the Bold cartoon focusing entirely on the JLI only...couldn't they simply have made a spinoff from this show instead of simply canceling it? The art style, characters' voices and interaction were perfect!!

I would have loved to have worked on an animated JLI series and was very excited when I heard the talk about it being a possibility. But it looks like that's not going to happen. But tomorrow's another day, right?

Thanks for stopping by Creation Point. Feel free to check in any time! Best -- JMD